The Perfect Present
by Earendil Eldar
Summary: Jack is stumped for the "perfect" present to offer Ianto at their first Christmas.
1. Chapter 1

It had amazed Jack for decades how the Rift seemed to viscerally know when it could cause maximum disruption. It was one of those things that, no matter how many times he saw it, it still came as a surprise. Christmas… it was always Christmas. More specifically, the entire month of December. If nothing else, he was at least near enough to just accepting it for what it was.

This year, though, there was more to it. Being in love in December was awful, as far as Jack was concerned. Especially when you were Jack Harkness and had no chance of ever admitting that love.

This man, this "Jones, Ianto Jones," who had quite literally chanced in on his life one night and stayed…. Jack wondered how he'd done it, just showed up and made Jack fall head-over-heels in a matter of days. Not that he could ever, would ever say as much, but since it was December, well, he kinda had to offer some kind of… token of gratitude. But he had to get it just right. Too grand and it would send the reserved young man running, Jack was sure. Too petty and it might come across as indifferent. Too personal and it could look like a case of that workplace harassment Ianto was always teasing about. Too impersonal and it might make Ianto feel cheap.

Now, how was a man charged with defending the world, or at least South Wales, from aliens meant to figure that one out when the Rift kept him running upwards of 16 hours a day?

Jack sighed. What a stupid holiday, anyway. No wonder he kept his list so short. Alice and Stephen? A bigger check and whatever the latest thing for young lads was that year. His 'boss'? A simple bottle of Dubonnet and some treats for the Corgis. Never a question about it.

But an employee he was impossibly in love with? Yeah, right. The codebreaker hadn't been invented that could simplify that one.

Jack watched from his office as said employee tidied up around the Hub after everyone else, as he always did in the evenings (or whenever they'd all gone). Even in a three-piece suit, Ianto seemed chilled by the perpetual dampness of their subterranean base of operations, tugging at his shift cuffs and shifting his collar a little higher. Jack made a mental note to do something about the two boilers that hadn't worked properly since sometime around Torchwood's platinum jubilee.

Dropping his head back, Jack sighed. A warmer Hub would definitely be considered a 'grand gesture' if offered as a Christmas present.

A barely audible tap at his office door pulled Jack from his ruminations. Ianto stood there in a dark grey top coat and black leather gloves. "Just running out to the shops, sir. Any requests?"

'You, naked and on my desk,' Jack thought, judiciously deciding against vocalizing that particular request for the moment. "Uh, not especially. Maybe some extra Jaffa Cakes?"

"Right. Will do. Won't be long," Ianto promised, then all but disappeared like an efficiently regimented wisp of fog in the morning sun.

Jack sighed again and shook his head. Of course he'd fallen in love. What else could he have done?


	2. Chapter 2

It was December 21, already, and Jack still hadn't figured out the "perfect" gift for Ianto. It was getting depressing. It would have been so much easier if he could have just told the man how he felt, but there was no way…. It was too soon, for one thing. And Ianto was nowhere near comfortable enough with whatever they were doing for any kind of romantic declarations.

Walking down the high street didn't help anything. It seemed like every advert depicted radiantly happy couples and families, all exchanging and basking in their "perfect" gifts. Where were the adverts for people who were tired, conflicted, too busy keeping alien tech out of the wrong hands…?

Jack shook his head and sighed. He knew the Scrooge routine didn't fit very well with his wink-and-a-smile Captain Jack demeanor, but he just didn't feel very joyful. And he was still hoping for London to kindly keep itself free of alien visitors for Christmas, just for a change of pace.

At some point, Jack noticed there was a heavenly aroma coming from somewhere and when he glanced up, he found himself approaching a coffee and tea shop. Maybe that was it, a nice bag of coffee, Jack thought. A perfect present. Which Ianto would most certainly end up sharing with the rest of the team, he realized. No, it had to be something _just_ for Ianto.

Jack sighed again and scowled, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his greatcoat and continuing on. It was useless and that was all there was to it. Even the menswear shop he passed wasn't helpful. The suits displayed in the front window would look fantastic on Ianto, naturally, but that was just not the sort of thing one could make a gift of.

Jack stopped suddenly and doubled back. Maybe not a suit, but there was such a thing as accessorizing tastefully, and that red scarf… well, it was kind of big, might not tuck tidily into his overcoat like a silk opera scarf, but he could wrap it around and keep warm and that red would look incredible against his pale skin and grey coat. Best of all, it was personal and thoughtful without being too grand or intimate. Stepping inside the shop, Jack made a bee-line to the scarves and found the one he admired to also be softer than the sparse hairs on Ianto's chest, no coarse, itchy wool. And the subtle pattern of looser and tighter weaving was eye-catching without being showy.

Deciding to just stop overthinking things and go with his first instinct, Jack asked the approaching salesman to please have the scarf he was holding gift-wrapped, knowing his own holiday origami skills to be nothing short of pitiful.


	3. Chapter 3

Three days later, while the rest of the team were rushing out of the Hub as quickly as possible before the Rift changed its mind and demanded full-team attention, Jack watched Ianto tidying up empty pizza boxes and coffee mugs and crumpled report forms that Owen had failed to score a 'basket' with.

He found himself wishing more than anything that Ianto would stay 'late' that night, but he already knew Ianto planned to visit his sister's family that evening. And Jack wasn't at all willing to intrude on that.

Eventually, Ianto came up to Jack's office, pulling on his overcoat. "Anything else you're needing before I'm off?" Ianto asked.

Jack shook his head with a smile. "Not a thing. Uh, well, there is one thing, but not something… uh, you know." Jack opened a desk drawer and took out a package. He stood up and came around his desk to hand it to Ianto. "Happy Christmas."

Ianto glanced between the package and Jack, looking almost confused.

"Go on. I know it's not 'officially' Christmas yet, but…," Jack shrugged. "If I don't see you tomorrow." He perched on the edge of his desk, hating that moment of doubt as someone opened a gift. It was so much easier just setting a 'holiday bonus' envelope on each of his team's desks.

Ianto glanced up at Jack again, smirking slightly as both of them knew perfectly well that they'd both be in the Hub on the Christmas Day, on one pretext or another. Ianto carefully peeled back the thick, foiled paper, appreciating its textured holly and ivy print. Much nicer than the filmy, holographic stuff that seemed to be everywhere that year.

Ianto took the lid from the plain white cardboard shirt-box and drew back the green tissue paper. He carefully set the box and paper beside Jack on the desk as he lifted the red woven material out. Just holding it, the softness and warmth gave him a smile. It was obviously good quality craftsmanship, hand-woven of fine fibres.

"Thought it might keep you warm out there… pretty chilly tonight," Jack said softly, as though he had to explain his motivation for giving Ianto a personal gift.

Ianto looked up, smiling as he wrapped the scarf around his neck and immediately felt warmer in the always-chilly Hub. "Thank you," he said, "it's perfect."

Jack felt warmer at once, too, finally hearing his most hated word of the season in the right context. He started to step forward to kiss Ianto's cheek and wish him a merry Christmas again, but Ianto reaching into his deep coat pocket made him pause.

Ianto took out a small bottle of Penderyn with a sprig of mistletoe tied on with a red ribbon. "Nadolig Llawen," Ianto said. "If you happen to be up later… I could stop by after dinner."

Jack grinned brightly. "I'll be up, for definite. And I'll find a good home for this in the meantime," he said, tickling the mistletoe.


End file.
